Thoughts on Action RPGs
Thoughts on Action RPGs
Editorial - posted by DarkUnderlord on Sat 3 May 2008, 07:08:44
Tags: DiabloRPGVault have put up an article about the Action RPG genre. It's byline is "Thoughts on the category from Flagship's Max Schaefer, co-creator of its definitive property, and Gas Powered Games". Here's randomly chosen sections designed to interest you:
In its darkest hour, the PC RPG was resurrected by the success of Diablo and, to a lesser extent, by Baldur's Gate a year later...
Needless to say, people noticed. So did publishers, who aren't entirely unlike people. They like that whole profit thing - as do developers - so they tend to greenlight games that are similar to other established hits. Another publisher goal is to reach "broad demographics" with every single title. The logic there was/is that the kids dig both action and RPGs, so the Reese's-like combination of the two will make both camps happy.
So, while a few major RPGs took the Baldur's Gate classic route, the larger industry saw a gold rush in them there action RPGs, and the entire market shifted in that direction. It has mostly remained there.Thank you Diablo, for all that you've done for the RPG genre. 
Thank you for your Sacreds and your Titan Quests and your Hellgate: Londons and your... Hey, whatever happened to real RPGs?
As more people get a taste of RPG-dom through these other kinds of games, the possibility that publishers will jump back on the large-scale classic RPG bandwagon - your Mass Effects and Oblivions notwithstanding - increases.If only he were right. It only he were right...
Go on over and read the rest to find out about World of Warcraft, the difficulty they had in actually categorising Diablo and other fun stuff. It's a gold mine of fun about RPG's darkest hours.
Spotted @ Blues News
In its darkest hour, the PC RPG was resurrected by the success of Diablo and, to a lesser extent, by Baldur's Gate a year later...
Needless to say, people noticed. So did publishers, who aren't entirely unlike people. They like that whole profit thing - as do developers - so they tend to greenlight games that are similar to other established hits. Another publisher goal is to reach "broad demographics" with every single title. The logic there was/is that the kids dig both action and RPGs, so the Reese's-like combination of the two will make both camps happy.
So, while a few major RPGs took the Baldur's Gate classic route, the larger industry saw a gold rush in them there action RPGs, and the entire market shifted in that direction. It has mostly remained there.
Thank you for your Sacreds and your Titan Quests and your Hellgate: Londons and your... Hey, whatever happened to real RPGs?As more people get a taste of RPG-dom through these other kinds of games, the possibility that publishers will jump back on the large-scale classic RPG bandwagon - your Mass Effects and Oblivions notwithstanding - increases.
Go on over and read the rest to find out about World of Warcraft, the difficulty they had in actually categorising Diablo and other fun stuff. It's a gold mine of fun about RPG's darkest hours.
Spotted @ Blues News
